


Santa Barbara fic (DreamSMP: This is Your House!)

by Chandlerolivia



Category: DreamSMP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29260815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chandlerolivia/pseuds/Chandlerolivia
Summary: A group of mcyt (including sbi, dream team, and others) renting a mansion on the outskirts of Santa Barbara and living together.
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

“A mansion, Tubbo!” Tommy repeated. His messy bedroom felt cramped when his head was blissfully full with images of giant, king-sized mattresses and 30 foot high ceilings. “We’re all renting out a _mansion!_ ”

“We are?” Tubbo’s confusion was laced with sleep as he yawned into the receiver. “Couldn’t this have waited until morning?”

“What do you mean morning? Tubbo, it’s already 2pm,” Tommy’s amusement was obvious--even over the phone--and Tubbo couldn’t help but feel excited as he pulled the cell away from his cheek to check the time.

“Wait--who’s we?” Tubbo asked as he began to sober from his sluggish daze and bring the phone back to his ear.

“Everybody,” Tommy offered unhelpfully.

“You’re incredibly unhelpful.” Tubbo assured him.

“I mean it! Like, everyone, Tubbo. Will, Techno, Dream, Ranboo--” Tubbo cut him off.

“Ranboo?” Tubbo smiled at the mention of his friend’s name.

“Yeah, Ranboo! And Phil, Big Q, Gogy--basically everyone.” Tommy knew there were more, but couldn't be bothered to list them. His mind was too busy fantasizing of the sunny skies and warm pool towels that awaited them. “Do you think there will be a pool?” He asked eagerly.

“I dunno, you said it was in California? Probably.” As soon as Tubbo agreed, Tommy couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. 

“When do we leave?” Tubbo asked.

“2 months. Or--wait. Maybe three. Yeah, no, 2 months. We leave in May.” Tommy scrambled.

“May? But, Tommy, we don’t get out of school until June.”

“So? We already do school online, anyways. Plus, we’ll have, like, a billion people to help us with homework. It’ll be fine.”

“Okay, well... I’ll have to ask my parents tonight. How long are we staying?”

“No one knows yet for sure, but we rented it for the summer right now. If it works out, I mean, y’know...” Tommy trailed off.

The realization of what Tommy was saying hit Tubbo suddenly. “Wait, so... we’re, like, gonna live together?”

“YEAH! And, Tubbo, listen to me. We get to hang out all the time--Ranboo, too. It’s like we get to move in together, but with, like, all of our friends as an added bonus. It’s gonna be so cool. Plus, Ranboo can drive us around.”

“We’re really doing this, Tommy? Like, you’re being serious?”

“Tubbo, I’m always serious”

“Okay, well, that’s a lie.”

“I think that’s up to interpretation. I’ll see ya in 2 months, Tubbo.”


	2. Dream's First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and Sapnap arrive late to a near full-house in the midst of a warm, enjoyable night.

As his suitcase tumbled from the car and dropped painfully on his foot, Dream couldn’t stop himself from cursing. He curled his toes in anguish, left unprotected by his treacherous sandals. Sapnap’s snicker replaced Dream’s pain with playful bitterness as Dream bent down to pick up the stray bag, and it wasn’t until he stood again that he really looked at the property in front of them. 

Dream had parked in the driveway, which looped around a marble fountain at the front of the mansion. When he craned his neck up to take in the enormity of the building, he couldn’t even humor calling the structure a house.

“Holy shit,” Sapnap mumbled. When Dream looked over, he found Sapnap craning his neck the same way he had, except Sapnap couldn’t seem to look away. To be honest, Dream couldn’t blame him.

Although it was dark out when they arrived, the warm light that bled from each and every window didn’t fail to illuminate the building in a dazzling display, like it was begging for his attention. Even the dense trees that surrounded the property were flushed with a vibrance that seemed to be stolen from story books. Vines crept up the walls and pristine, white flowers budded and blossomed from each plant. From the center entryway, the house split off into two perfectly symmetrical wings, and from the mansion Dream could hear faint conversations and high-pitched laughter.

Dream pried his eyes away from the breathtaking estate and brought his gaze to the unfamiliar cars that jarringly littered the driveway. It seemed almost disrespectful to park on such spotless stonework, but what really made them feel so out of place was the fact that Dream knew they belonged to the friends he’d only ever spoken to online. It was difficult for him to process that one of them may belong to someone like Techno, or--even weirder--to George. 

Dream was disoriented when he noticed his confidence falter. It felt so surreal when they’d planned the trip that he hadn’t really considered what it would feel like when it became a reality.

“Is it weird that I’m sorta--I dunno--nervous, I guess?” Sapnap asked apprehensively, as if reading his thoughts. He continued to stare at the beautiful property, though seemingly detached, as if he wasn’t really paying attention to the glossy windows or intricate masonry.

“I don’t think so. Even if it is, I think I am, too.” Dream said lightly.

“It’s just like, once we go in there, either it’ll be just like it is online, or it won’t be. And I don’t really know which one I’d prefer.” Sapnap looked relaxed, but the way his voice softened got the better of him. Still, Dream pretended not to notice and stayed quiet.

Sapnap kept his tone casual when he grabbed his bag and closed the trunk, before turning back towards the manor. “Well… shall we?”

The front door wasn’t physically guarded, but Dream felt just as intimidated when he imagined approaching it. More vines laced around the railings of the porch stairs, pointing insufferably towards the entrance. Nevertheless, Dream was never one to shy away from adventure, and he quickly decided that he wasn’t going to let this be the first time.

When Dream tried the first time, the door didn’t budge, and he feared it might be locked. Then, once he had given it a solid shove, the handle gave in.

As soon as Dream wrestled open the heavy door, a passionate cry of defeat echoed through the entryway.

“Ohhhh my _GOD!_ This game _sucks,”_ it whined. Dream recognized Tommy’s voice immediately, and it took only a second for him to find the irritable teen, hunched over a ping-pong table that looked like it’d never been touched. 

“YES!!” From the other end of the table, Tubbo threw his arms in the air in crazed victory. “WOO!! Oh my god, I’m a genius!” He announced incredulously.

“Tubbo, man, I thought you said you’d never played before,” Tommy complained as Tubbo laughed.

“I lied.” He said bluntly.

“You—wha—ha-” Tommy couldn’t contain the laughter that fought its way out of him, and by the time Tubbo had noticed Dream and Sapnap chuckling, Tommy was still doubled over in exuberant oblivion.

“Hey, Tubbo. Hey, Tommy,” Dream greeted happily.

“Clay! Nick!” Tubbo shouted, delighted. Dream found his name unnatural, and could tell Sapnap thought the same.

“That was weird,” Sapnap pointed out.

“Yeah, it felt weird,” Tubbo said dismissively as he made his way towards the door, grinning. “So how was-“

“DREAM!” Tommy yelped suddenly, cutting Tubbo off. “Oh my god, Dream!” His voice pitched in disbelief. “—And Sapnap, I mean.” He added with a tinge of apathy.

“Ouch, Tommy,” Sapnap feigned.

Just as Dream was about to ask about the delicious, salty smell that eased its way around the room, a muffled battle cry stopped him short. The sound was immediately followed by the terrified screams of a culpable Karl, who’s hair was covered by a familiar beanie. Karl didn’t even notice Dream as he leapt over the couch and continued his strategic escape down the other hall. 

When Quackity burst into the room from the direction Karl had fled from, it quickly made sense why he wielded an empty paper towel roll as if it were a weapon of mass destruction.

“You asshole, get back here!” Quackity yelled, wild-haired and deranged, setting off down the same hallway, shouting threats with no obvious promise of fulfillment. Sapnap’s face brightened with a goofy grin and he hastily tossed his bag aside and took off after them.

“Sapnap!” Dream called, but it was already too late. Dreams efforts were drowned out by Karl’s giggles and the three of them were already too far down the wing of the mansion to hear him. “What’s that smell?” Dream asked instead.

“Puffy’s making, like, soup or something,” Tommy replied. He had wandered off and was bent down behind the couch, with his hand shoved beneath it. He slid back up clumsily, missing ping pong ball in hand.

“Yeah, like a stew, I think.” Tubbo clarified. When Dream still looked lost, he added, “it’s got like meat and loads of vegetables. Oh, and it’s kinda gravy-ish, I guess.”

Rather than relying on the flimsy memory of two very distracted teens, Dream decided to explore the kitchen on his own. From the hollow sound of ping-pong balls reverberating next to him, Dream could tell Tommy and Tubbo seemed to have gotten invested once again in their competitive match. It was easy for Dream to slip past them, deciding to finish their conversation later.

The kitchen felt surprisingly cozy for its massive size. Dream attributed it to the soft sounds of bubbling stew that arose from a pot taking up space on the stove, along with the mellow music that could gently put him to bed if he let it. 

“The music’s nice,” he offered to a distracted Puffy.

“Dream?” She asked.

“Hi,” he grinned.

“Dream! Oh my god, it’s so weird to see you in person! Not in a bad way, though. You look great!” Puffy set aside her wooden spoon on the counter and lightly clapped her hands together to rid them of any excess corn starch. She outstretched her arms for a hug and it felt natural when Dream bent down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I guess I didn’t really think about that,” he confessed when he straightened again.

“About what?”

“Like, I didn’t think about how not everybody has seen my face. In fact, almost nobody has.”

“Yeah, I totally understand what you’re saying. I’ve seen almost everyone here either on their social media or streams, so I didn’t really consider the people I’d never seen. But, honestly, I think it’s because we cherish the friendship a lot more than the face. I think it’s a good thing!” Puffy smiled warmly and offered him a drink from the fridge.

After he pulled out a freezing cold bottle of water, Dream offered to help Puffy with the cooking, but she simply shook her head.

“Thanks for the offer, you’re too sweet. But, I’ve got Mr. Minecraft himself helping me right now, and I think we’re set!” Puffy told him.

Before Dream could ask who Mr. Minecraft was in a house full of Minecraft youtubers, Philza rounded the corner and waved a welcoming hand in his direction.

“Oh, hey, mate,” Phil greeted. “How was the flight?” His calm demeanor reminded Dream of how mature Phil was, most likely due to how much older he was than the rest of them. 

As if to stop him once again from offering up the details of his flight, a ping pong ball flew into the room and bounced frantically from surface to surface. Dream chased after it in an attempt to save it from the stew, as Puffy played goalie in front of the stove. Meanwhile, a delighted laugh bubbled out of Phil when Tommy came bounding into the room.

“Oh my god, _Tommy!”_ Tubbo called after him. 

“Sorry, sorry” Tommy said guiltily, laughing between apologies. 

The ping pong ball finally slowed enough for Dream to catch it, and when Tommy held up his hands to retrieve it, Dream hurled it past him instead, reveling in the chaos. “Oops,” he smirked.

“Dreeeeaaamm,” Tommy whined, rushing back into the entryway. Dream laughed triumphantly and broke the seal on his water bottle with a crisp snap! as he turned his attention back to the infamous Mr. Minecraft.

Just as Dream was about to lean against the wall next to him, Phil stopped him.

“Watch out, if you lean against that button, it’ll enable an intercom that streams what you’re saying across the whooole property,” Phil delivered with his usual informative tone. “So far we’ve just used it to announce dinner and stuff.”

“So, I can just—” Dream motioned to the panel, almost pressing it, “—and everyone can hear me?”

“Yep, pretty much,” Phil assured him. A childish idea bloomed in Dreams head immediately, and he couldn’t help himself from enabling the speaker.

“Oh, here we go—“ Phil braced himself.

“Mr—“ Dream laughed, “Mr. Minecraft, I pissed the bed,” he broadcasted. When Dream heard the soft _what the fuck_ from Sapnap down the hall, his hand dropped from the speaker and wrapped around his stomach as he wheezed, entertained by his own antics.

“Oh my god,” Puffy scolded, faking disappointment in an effort to hide her amusement. Phil’s lips were pressed together, trying and failing to do the same.

“Wait, is that Dream?” A faint Wilbur Soot questioned in disbelief.

“Um, I think so,” an equally surprised Nihachu replied.

“Oh, that was Dream alright,” Techno told him.

“How can you be so sure?” Wilbur scoffed. It took a moment for Dream to find the source of their voices, but with a helpful nod from Phil, he matched Techno’s gaze through one of the many windows that lined the kitchen wall behind him. 

Techno was looking directly at Dream when he told Wilbur it was, “just a gut feeling.”

Will still didn’t seem to catch on, even when Niki followed Techno’s stare to Dream’s beaming—and maskless—face, and started giggling. “Maybe we should try and find him,” Will suggested.

“Great idea, Will,” Techno agreed, managing a perfectly straight face.

“Can I help? Dream offered, sliding the glass door open to the pool Will and Niki were swimming in. Techno’s feet dangled in the glassy water, wading gently. Dream stepped out into the warm Santa Barbara air, charmed by the lack of humidity that blessed the west coast.

“Oh, shit,” Will startled. “Found him.”

“Yep. Good job, Will,” Techno praised.

“Hey!” Dream greeted, sliding the door behind him closed and waving a quick goodbye to Phil and Puffy.

“You really took your time getting here,” Techno scolded jokingly. Next to him, Niki climbed out of the pool to greet Dream, drying her hair with the towel she graciously accepted from Techno. Will followed soon after, but Techno showed no such mercy to him; happily entertained when Will waddled, cold and irritable, to find a towel on one of the many pool chairs.

“I didn’t want to seem too eager,” Dream retorted. “Unlike some people.”

“Mm, I see. I just thought you actually wanted to see us, guess I was wrong,” Techno countered, acting hurt.

“Oh, come on—“

“No, it’s fine,” Techno told him. “For unrelated reasons, I suddenly have to go.” He got up and wiped his hands on his swim trunks, gesturing goodbye as he spun around and slid back inside through another glass door.

“Well, Dream, how was your trip?” Niki asked politely.

“Your noticeably _delayed_ flight,” Wilbur corrected.

Once again, before he could reply, Dream was cut off. A sharp _kshht_ broke through the courtyard, reminiscent of the static before and after walkie-talkies. Immediately after, Techno’s voice rang through the speakers in an accent attributed to a certain Sir Billiam.

_**Dinner time, peasants.** _

Will broke into contagious, surprised laughter. Niki couldn’t help herself, and her face grew red as she began to run out of breath.

“I think that’s us,” Dream remarked fondly, breaking the giggly haze that had settled over the water.

—

“So, Dream, how much are you gonna pay me not to leak pictures of you,” Tommy asked nonchalantly.

Dream choked on the spoonful of stew he’d just shoveled into his mouth, coughing and reaching for his glass. 

“What?” He managed.

“What kind of pictures?” Sapnap asked suggestively. Dream coughed harder, this time stifling a laugh.

“Woah, okay, Sapnap,” Tommy feigned disgust, effectively shaming him.

“He’s a minor, you know,” Tubbo mocked.

“Yeah, Sapnap, not in front of the children,” Quackity scolded, and Dream noticed his beanie was returned comfortably where it belonged, snug around Quackity’s ears.

“I’m not a—Dream, you didn’t name a price,” Tommy reiterated, changing the subject. He begrudgingly scooped a steaming potato into his mouth, yelping and spitting it out when it burned his tongue. 

“Tommy, didn’t Phil already give you your allowance,” Wilbur taunted, ignoring the now-mashed potato remains. “What do you need the extra money for?”

“Drugs,” Tommy replied blankly, sneering when Phil gave him a bizarre look.

“What? Like Pepto Bismol?” Karl tormented. “You know we have that here, right, Tommy? If you have a wittle tummy ache, you could have told us.” The table was filled with a chorus of coughing and laughing, but Karl was giggling the loudest at his own joke.

“LET’S GO!” Karl chirped, earning prideful praise from Sapnap and Quackity beside him. Dream watched as both of them hyped him up, Sapnap gripping his hand and thrusting it in the air in playful merriment.

“Speaking of going, when is George going to show up,” Quackity asked once he’d sobered from the high of the shared excitement.

“Wow, you’re—just—terrible at segues,” Tubbo criticized.

“Aw, come on, Tubbo. Come on, It was pretty good,” Quackity defended, looking to Karl and Sapnap to back him up. Unfortunately for him, his friends seemed to be lost in their own conversation. However, whether the distraction was natural or to avoid confronting Quackity’s undeniably horrible segue, Dream wasn’t sure.

“No, like, it was genuinely awful.” Tubbo assured him confidently.

“You—“ Quackity tried, but Dream intervened.

“Wait, he’s not already here?” Dream asked, startled by his own disappointment.

“Probably slept through his flight,” Quackity mumbled.

“Yeah, to try and avoid having to see you, Big Q,” Tommy jabbed at him. Quackity couldn’t catch a break.

“You’re so angry, all of the time, Tommy,” Wilbur eased.

“Do I need to sign you up for counseling?” Phil offered, buying into his fatherly role.

“No, Philza Minecraft—“ Tommy started.

“Ooh, he’s using the full name,” Tubbo noted.

Tommy struggled to stay serious after Tubbo’s dutiful contribution. He cleared his throat and tried again. 

“Philza Minecraft, please. I am a man. You should know as well as any man that we don’t get therapy, Phil. Real men never resolve their problems, they ignore them until the problems fester into worse problems that destroy their lives later down the line.”

“Yeah, Phil,” Will continued. “Real men are mentally ill.” 

Phil groaned, but it quickly devolved into laughter.

“That’s why Phil rhymes with ill,” Tubbo explained.

“Yeah, Phil was actually named Leslie, but then he became a man and they told him he had to change it to Phil, to match all the other real men,” Techno added.

“Who’s they?” Quackity asked nervously.

“The Man Council,” Tommy replied.

The table erupted once again into a fit of laughter, so much so that no one seemed to notice when Ranboo and Fundy slammed open the door, arms full of donut boxes.

“Can anyone grab the napkins and soda from the car? Fundy and I didn’t have enough hands,” Ranboo asked, shuffling his keys back into his pocket.

“For you, Ranboo, anything,” Tubbo told him, pushing his chair back and setting his bowl by the sink before running out the door, followed closely by Tommy.

—

Dream zipped up his empty suitcase and laid it under his king bed, which looked like it was primed for royalty. It felt good to have all of his clothes unpacked, even if it was just a few random sweatshirts, t-shirts, and jeans he’d absently pulled from his closet at home. His headphones had just been pulled over his ears, music blaring, when Dream spotted Sapnap sitting alone on a bench. The bench was situated on a balcony that connected their rooms, like their own secret hideout. The balcony overlooked the courtyard, which was dressed with more chairs and a large fire pit, past the aforementioned pool chairs and swimming pool.

Dream quickly paused his music and slipped his headphones back onto his bed. He padded gingerly to the vastly tall windows that were sewn into the wall behind his bed. His warm hands fiddled with one of the frigid metal latches that sealed every window, quietly pushing it open and climbing through, landing softly on his feet on the other side. The previously warm air had turned bitter with the growing night, and Dream was glad he was still wearing his socks to shelter his feet from the unforgiving cement. He made his way over to the bench and braced himself for the cool sting of the chilled wood.

He sat down and leaned back, sending harsh chills up his spine. He relaxed his head on the support of the bench, resting his eyes on the glittery sky that hung, dark and enigmatic, above him. Dream had never felt so appreciative of the lack of city lights. Countless glistering stars hid discreetly between each tantalizing fold of darkness. Stargazing was never his thing, but if nights as perfect as tonight were going to be a regular, he wouldn’t mind trying.

“So,” Dream started. “Was it just like it was online?” He teased.

“It was better,” Sapnap answered blissfully.

“Yeah, me too.” Dream remarked tenderly. The two of them never took their eyes off of the sky, and a comfortable silence fell between them. Soft chirps of crickets blended with the gentle breeze that whistled past them to create a delicate symphony that drained the energy from Dream’s body. He slid the sleeves of his lime hoodie down to his wrists, and it wasn’t until he saw the sleeves outstretched that he figured it out.

“What?” Sapnap asked, pleasantly bewildered when Dream scoffed in realization.

“I’ve been wondering all night how people knew it was me before they heard my voice, I didn’t even remember I’ve been wearing my literal brand on my chest since we got off the plane,” Dream explained.

“You dumbass,” Sapnap pestered. 

“I think it’s time I go to sleep,” Dream said, chucking softly. He motioned to get up, sitting up straight and stretching.

“And leave me out here all alone?”

“I’ve been trying to get away from you all evening,” Dream joked. He smiled at Sapnap, only for him to be playfully shoved away.

“Everyone’s so mean to me, and for what?” Sapnap complained.

“It’s fun,” Dream supplied, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“You’re the worst,” Sapnap said, and shrugged out of Dream’s grip.

“Oh, come on now. You love me.”

“Maybe. I’ll know for sure if you kiss me goodnight.”

“I am _not_ doing that.”

“C’mon, Dream, it’s so romantic. Look—“ Sapnap was having trouble keeping up his smitten facade between laughs. “Look at the stars.”

“ _Goodnight_ Sapnap,” Dream groaned. Sapnap’s giggle took Dream back to the drowsiness that prospered from the late night ambiance, and he hugged himself warm as he stood. He flicked the back of Sapnap’s head when he walked past him, and Dream went to bed.


End file.
